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CES 2024 daily recap: LG’s transparent tv, beauty tech and brand safety

LG Signature Oled T, US

US – Some 4,000 exhibitors and 130,000 attendees are gathering at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024 to discuss, test and be inspired by emerging innovators across tech, business and entertainment.

On Monday, 8 January 2024, LG unveiled its ground-breaking transparent 77-inch Signature Oled T tv for home use. In a mesmerising product demo, the television seamlessly transitioned from displaying vibrant content to activating transparency mode, allowing images to float between the glass panel and the surroundings. The transparent feature opens possibilities for immersive experiences, including a weather app, webOS app store, and even clips from Amazon Prime Video series The Peripheral.

On Tuesday, 9 January 2024 The L'Oréal Group hosted a keynote address – the first time a beauty company has headlined CES. The French beauty giant unveiled AirLight Pro, a hair-drying tool developed in collaboration with Zuvi and featuring infrared light technology and wind for smoother and hydrated hair. The device is a CES Innovation Award winner, drying hair faster and consuming up to 31% less energy.

A panel featuring Snap's co-founder and CEO Evan Spiegel and management consulting firm MediaLink's CEO Michael Kassan faced challenging questions on upcoming elections, online fake news and the role brands have to play in public debates while protecting brand safety.

‘In the past five to six months, we have seen brand safety return to top of mind for brands,’ said Kassan. The MediaLink CEO mentioned a recent conversation he had with a senior decision-maker in the marketing industry who reportedly told him: ‘I don’t want to wake up to a headline with my brand in it because of where I placed my ad. I have enough to worry about.’ When asked by the moderator whether he was politely referencing ads on X, the audience burst out laughing – highlighting how finding the right place for digital ads will be an ongoing challenge for brands in the next few years.

To read more about tech innovations designed for the home, such as LG's transparent tv, take a look at our Home States Futures: Residential Retail macrotrend report.

Strategic opportunity

While LG’s transparent screen was made for home-watching, retailers should consider integrating the technology in-store to create futuristic and engaging shopping environments such as interactive product displays, virtual try-on experiences and new kinds of customer interactions

The Cryptide named Footwear Brand of the Year for 2023

The Cryptide, Germany

Switzerland – In its fourth edition, the Global Footwear Awards (GFA) has evaluated over 200 projects from 25 countries scouring for the most innovative and promising designs, leading to The Cryptide, a luxury lifestyle sneaker brand led by designer Stephan Henrich, being chosen as the 2023 Footwear Brand of the Year.

The brand’s futuristic Cryptide One creation stood out with its entirely 3D-printed design, made from a single flexible material that enables easy recycling. The upper part of the shoe is constructed like a perforated sock to ensure optimal ventilation and can be shaped based on a 3D scan of the wearer’s foot. Another distinctive feature is the sculptural sole that can be tailored to the wearer’s weight. The Cryptide’s on-demand manufacturing system was also praised by the jury for preventing over-production.

Echoing findings highlighted in The State of Streetwear, the awards focused on technology and sustainability at the service of style. ‘It’s inspiring to witness the perfect blend of style and innovation,’ said the GFA programme director Astrid Herbert. ‘These designers aren’t just making shoes; they’re crafting a narrative of mindful steps towards a more sustainable and tech-driven future.’

Strategic opportunity

Hyper-personalisation bas become a gold standard in fashion and beauty. Take cues from The Cryptide, going as far as tailoring each shoe to the wearer’s weight and foot shape

The Inkey List unveils mega-push for bio-active moisturiser

Global – The Inkey List, known for its problem-targeted skincare products, has launched its biggest campaign yet to promote one of its hero moisturisers. The Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturizer is priced at £15.70 ($20, €18.30) and although the brand hasn’t disclosed how much it has spent on the campaign, this is its largest investment to date, with the brand extending into new channels such as out-of-home advertising, partnerships with Sephora and a robust social media push.

The brand was founded in 2018 in the UK, entering the US in 2019 and now aiming to achieve £7.8m ($10m, €9.1m) in sales with this hero product strategy. It has a strong following among Millennials, primarily cultivated on Instagram, with more than 570,000 followers. The campaign features a Beauty Through the Ages video series that delicately addresses anti-ageing, inclusively highlighting influencers and creators of various age groups. In addition, it spotlights partnerships with dermatologists to emphasise the science behind the brand’s products, cementing its Accredited Beauty status. TikTok and Instagram will be key platforms for this campaign, but the brand also has plans for over 70 events in Sephora stores across North America and community events in other markets.

Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturizer by The Inkey List, UK

Strategic opportunity

As consumers discreetly adopt Longevity Lifestyle solutions, it is important for brands to set the right tone for communications. Integrate intelligent copy that communicates a product’s efficacy without sounding patronising or prescriptive

Stat: Social media apps are targeting minors and making billions

Photography by Shingi Rice, UK

US – A December 2023 study in the US from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health has found that social media platforms generated almost £8.6bn ($11bn, €10bn) in revenue from advertisements targeting children and teenagers in 2022, including more than £1.6bn ($2bn, €1.8bn) from users aged 12 and under.

Researchers estimated the number of users under 18 on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube using US census and survey data from Common Sense Media and Pew Research Center. They then used research from Insider Intelligence and Qustodio to estimate each platform’s US ad revenue in 2022 and the time spent per day by under-18s on each platform.

The findings suggest that YouTube derived the highest ad revenue from users aged 12 and under, at £753.6m ($959.1m, €876.1m), while Instagram took the lead for ad revenue from users aged 13 to 17, at £3.1bn ($4bn, €3.6bn).

The study has prompted calls for stronger guidelines for social media use among children and teenagers. Perhaps Anti-Provocation Platforms could be the solution? New platforms such as WeAre8 are trying to establish new, healthier online spaces with positive values built into their functionality to protect the next generation.

Strategic opportunity

Gen Z parents want their children to have healthier online experiences than they did. How can you ensure your brand’s online spaces promote community, inspiration and joy?